SHOCHU-GEIKO (SUMMER SPECIAL TRAININGS)

Each year, in the summer months, normally January,
Shotokai Karate Budo - Chile organizes the Special Trainings, this due to the constant efforts in maintaining the Budo traditions. All those interested in attaining a more profound knowledge of the Budo, are invited to participate in it. It is not a seminar, neither is it a course nor a summer camp, rather a period of very intense training, where the participants are taken to new heights of physical and mental effort. These consist in a four day campout in an area far from civilization, during these days there are normally two training sessions per day, in the early morning and the afternoon. The program includes:
Kihon, Kata and Kumite, Shiai is not included, this is due to the training emphasis, which rests mostly or wholly on a struggle against oneself, against personal limitations. In a combat, it is almost natural that the strongest will come out victorious, but in the Special Trainings, the participant must have the will power and determination, strengthen his-her spirit and mind, otherwise he most surely will be defeated.

During the trainings, the participants are stimulated and induced to find their physical, mental and emotional limits, through a strict martial systematic, in which the instructor establishes a base line, a demanded minimum and the participant tries to see how far beyond that he can force himself to go. "There exists no real enemy, except your own errors", that is what the Sempai say, this is the Budo mentality.

Though not any person can set himself to get through such an experience without being prepared, it is a nurturing experience, with much reward, thus any participant that has the goal of comprehending the real objective of the Martial Arts, must try to participate and experience one at least. After you have finished, you will surely have attained a different view, a different dimension in your view on the Karate Budo art and of life itself. In the future you may stop your martial arts' training but what you have learnt in the Special Training, will never be forgotten.